Radio says goodbye to Streaming

[vsa]

Heavily condensed From Tom Taylor, here at Radio-Info:

"It finally happened in PPM – the stream for New York’s Fresh beat its broadcast signal in one demo.” That demo was women 18-34...the latest New York results for February [week 3] ...show the stream for WWFS [102.7] was #4 with women 18-34. That was ahead of...WWFS-FM’s own broadcast signal...with 18-34 adults, the Fresh Internet stream was a 3.2 and the over-the-air Fresh had a 3.0 share....Putting together the 3.0 and the 3.2 would make WWFS something like #4 with 18-34 men and women..."

We can thank the NAB for giving away the streaming royalty store to the RIAA back in 1996 through 1998 as they were obsessed with getting consolidation passed so public companies could go on a spending spree. Radio lost the future in 1998 with the passage of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Tragic.

What you are seing is how one or two PPM devices can distort the ratings when there is abnormally high usage. The Fresh stream jumped out of nowhere to a double digit share in Women 18-34 for the third week of the February measurement period. It had shown up with ratings in that demo just three weeks ago after more than 20 weeks of no ratings at all... zips. And then, in the most recent week, over a 10 share in middays.

If anyone thinks that is real or representave of anything, I would have to ask them what they were smoking. It's a couple of new panelists, likely in a single household.

This is like KTDD in Riverside / San Bernardino, an AM with 5 kw days and 500 watts night at 1350 which went into the top 5 in the market from having had 0.1 shares for 6 months... including a #1 in the market 7 share for nights... on a 500 watt AM in a market that is geographically enormous.... one of the larger ones in the US.  

Using the streaming nonsense from PPM does not help your case... it likely negates it.

David,

You're merely pointing out a weakness of Arbitron's PPM.

Any stream's listening estimates can be either confirmed or disproven by checking the streaming server's usage data. In any case, Internet streams are now showing up in the PPM - a development that should not be ignored.

Question. Has ANYBODY'S HD2 channel shown up yet in the PPM?

 

 

[davideduardo]

You're merely pointing out a weakness of Arbitron's PPM.

The weakness is that heavy usage by one or two metered persons in a cell which is underproportional can have an enormous effect that has no basis in reality.

Any stream's listening estimates can be either confirmed or disproven by checking the streaming server's usage data.

But, since usage data is harder to isolate on a county by county basis, it can not be correlated to radio market listening. And having a stream on does not mean it is being heard by a meter... in fact, a stream may be on all day in an office, but the "listener" spends half their time out of the office.

In any case, Internet streams are now showing up in the PPM - a development that should not be ignored.

But, in the markets where they are showing, a large percentage of commercials are agency spots and not usable on the stream... the issue is monetizing the stream, which will not be done by conventional methods.

 

[vsa]

You're merely pointing out a weakness of Arbitron's PPM.

The weakness is that heavy usage by one or two metered persons in a cell which is underproportional can have an enormous effect that has no basis in reality.

PPM's weakness can cut either way or both ways, over-representing on-air or streaming, so your point is pointless.

Any stream's listening estimates can be either confirmed or disproven by checking the streaming server's usage data.

But, since usage data is harder to isolate on a county by county basis, it can not be correlated to radio market listening. And having a stream on does not mean it is being heard by a meter... in fact, a stream may be on all day in an office, but the "listener" spends half their time out of the office.

Tracking a listener's IP address by county is a simple thing to do. It's what makes targeted local Internet advertising possible.

In any case, Internet streams are now showing up in the PPM - a development that should not be ignored.

But, in the markets where they are showing, a large percentage of commercials are agency spots and not usable on the stream... the issue is monetizing the stream, which will not be done by conventional methods.

We live in unconventional times. Adapt or die.

 

[davideduardo]

The weakness is that heavy usage by one or two metered persons in a cell which is underproportional can have an enormous effect that has no basis in reality.

PPM's weakness can cut either way or both ways, over-representing on-air or streaming, so your point is pointless.

You just reiterated what I said. Talk about pointless.

If you go further, the ascendency of KTDD, a poor coverage AM in the Riverside metro to #3 12+ and #1 at night in just two weeks from the 0.1 it had is another case of a single household driving the ratings to the point of total inaccuracy.

Tracking a listener's IP address by county is a simple thing to do. It's what makes targeted local Internet advertising possible.

While that may isolatte DSL lines, and localize cable modems somewhat, there is a vast universe of dial up connections still being used. And many office connections travel to a central location before connecting to the web. The localization process is nowere near precise and has the one failing that dooms stream counting: there is no demographic data at all unless registration is required to log in, and that reduces usage.

 

[RadioFanBoy]

Given what I do know as facts, I've been trying to look at just how Radio Says Goodbye to Streaming

Entercom JUST SIGNED with Stream The World as the new provider for all their stations.

Just this year and last, Stream The World has been courting and signing up Independent and small group station clusters right, left, and center.

I know of two station groups, Citadel and Greater Media who are beta testing and about to launch I-Phone applications ala CBS/AOL Radio and Clear Channel's "I-Heart-Radio".

And even if most radio stations do suddenly abandon streaming say within the next few months, we went down this road before in spring of 2000, and everyone said, yep, radio on the internet, done dead, over with. And then within a year, every major market had more than a few stations streaming once again, and stations that didn't jump on the bandwagon the first time around made sure they didn't miss this trip.

But it's going to be different this time? We're all just going to click our heels three times and say "There's no such things as I-Pods"?

 

[Robnoxious]

I've have an iPod Touch and uses various applications to stream out of market and in market webstreams. This is one way I'm cutting back on my electricity usage by using the iPod Touch WI FI to connect to my AirPort (router) and leave my TV and Mac Mini off.

You, my friend, are the first person I've ever crossed paths with that has needed the Bonjour service.
Itunes has been trying to force feed me it's install since 2004.

I didn't think people like you existed.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Just this year and last, Stream The World has been courting and signing up Independent and small group station clusters right, left, and center.

Add Pamal's WXPK-FM 107.1 The Peak to that list (added earlier this week). I would assume the other Pamal stations also.

 

[ronkaram]

I can't understand why they want such high fees for internet streaming when it's obvious nobody can afford to pay simply because there aren't enough listeners. Streaming is like FM radio was back in the late 50's and early 60's. If they had to pay royalties back then and were asked to pay more if they were simulcasting on FM, FM probably would have died.
They shouldn't ask for any additional fees, let streaming grow, and when it's large enough to be profitable, then ask for fees. Give it a chance to grow.
I question the person who said foreign broadcasters would have to block thier streaming into the US. I would think the what the country they are in would be the determining factor. Just like credit card companies can charge higher rates than what California law says, but by moving thier operation to states that have less retrictive laws doesn't mean they can't do business in California if they don't follow California intrest regulations.

 

[Silkie]

I can't understand why they want such high fees for internet streaming when it's obvious nobody can afford to pay simply because there aren't enough listeners. Streaming is like FM radio was back in the late 50's and early 60's. If they had to pay royalties back then and were asked to pay more if they were simulcasting on FM, FM probably would have died.
They shouldn't ask for any additional fees, let streaming grow, and when it's large enough to be profitable, then ask for fees. Give it a chance to grow.
I question the person who said foreign broadcasters would have to block thier streaming into the US. I would think the what the country they are in would be the determining factor. Just like credit card companies can charge higher rates than what California law says, but by moving thier operation to states that have less retrictive laws doesn't mean they can't do business in California if they don't follow California intrest regulations.

And that is where we come to the Commerce Clause of The Constitution of The United States of America. All it is going to take to stop the madness is one big anti-trust lawsuit for crippling the radio business.

 

[TheBigA]

And that is where we come to the Commerce Clause of The Constitution of The United States of America. All it is going to take to stop the madness is one big anti-trust lawsuit for crippling the radio business.

That's interesting...who do you sue? SoundExchange? The Copyright Royalty Board? The Library of Congress. There's a lawsuit going on now arguing that the copyright judges were improperly appointed. During the hearing last week, it was argued that the CRB "has created a monopoly that does not give webcasters a genuine choice in how royalty payments are collected."